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Incidents of GOP Vote Suppression

October 26, 2008

www.ireport.com

The GOP is at it again, and little is being reported on the current cases of voter suppression. Here are some of the latest reports which may affect you.

WASHINGTON – Colorado Democrats accused a Republican county clerk Wednesday of falsely informing Colorado College that students from outside the state could not register to vote if their parents claimed them as a dependent on their tax returns. (reported kansascity.com) Balink issued a statement saying his office had misinterpreted state law and “mistakenly published information that was incorrect.”

Texas-based Premier Elections Solutions last week alerted *at least 1,750 jurisdictions across the country that special precautions are needed to address the problem in tabulation software affecting all 19 of its models dating back a decade.

The federal Election Assistance Administration, created in 2002, took over the testing responsibility in 2005, but has yet to certify a single voting machine.

As a result, charged Susan Greenhalgh, a spokeswoman for watchdog group Voter Action, the systems on which Americans will decide the race between Barack Obama and John McCain in November are “scandalously flawed”‘ and “the integrity of this election is in question.”

David Beirne, executive director of the Election Technology Council, which represents the leading makers of voting machines, said there’s no reason for concern. Without mentioning NASED, he said that members’ products “have all been certified” as meeting 2002 VOLUNTARY federal standards.

If you’re starting to feel nervous about this election then maybe you should because there is even more reports of GOP abuse being perpetrated that has not made mainstream media coverage.

WASHINGTON – Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee filed a lawsuit Tuesday accusing *Michigan Republicans of a scheme to use mortgage foreclosure lists to challenge the voting eligibility of lower-income people who’re likely to back Democrats in November.

If you think your vote is safe than think again.

In a lawsuit, Brunner charged on Aug. 6 that touch-screen machines made by the former Diebold Election Systems and bought by 11 Ohio counties “produce computer stoppages” or delays and are vulnerable to “hacking, tampering and other attacks.” In all, 44 Ohio counties spent $83 million in 2006 on Diebold’s touch screens.

If you think that your voting right is not being challenged in court, then consider the following.(reported blackboxvoting.org)

In granting the suit opponents’ motion, Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi said that Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen doesn’t have the power to bring the lawsuit, *which demanded verification of thousands of voters’ identities before Election Day. She said that she’s convinced no violation of state or federal law is about to occur.

The judge said that Van Hollen and the Republican Party should have gone through the process established by state law, which outlines that the Government Accountability Board will handle such complaints, WISC-TV reported.

Or what about good ol’ intimidation practices in swing states? Do you think that might still be practiced?

“Recently, the *Greene County Sheriff, Gene Fischer, made a public records request of the Greene County Board of Elections for new voter registration forms filed between September 30, 2008 and October 6, 2008,” Greene County Prosecutor Stephen K. Haller said in a statement issued Friday. “This morning I learned that Sheriff Fischer has withdrawn his request for public records of new voter registrations.”

If you are like me, it makes you wonder if your vote may get caught up in this web of voter suppression. That is why it is important to go vote early if you can, and to also monitor your voting station if possible.

Get the facts on your area and try and learn as much as possible about what you can do to protect THE VOTE. Voting is only the first stage in the process, and all of us must watch what happens before, during and after the vote!